Welcoming new seasons in life - Ruth L. Snyder

Do you welcome new seasons in your life? Personally I struggle with change. I prefer what I know, and what I feel comfortable with, as opposed to being stretched. However, I have discovered that I grow more in seasons of change. Probably because I am forced to rely totally on God.

I am currently in a season of change. One I would not have chosen. However, I'm learning to focus on what I do have control over and choosing to be thankful.

I can choose my attitude. 

Charles Swindoll puts it this way:

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company..I a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”

I can choose to build into other people's lives

No matter what my struggles are, I have discovered there are always others who are struggling or hurting more than I am. 

• I can listen. 
• I can pray. 
• I can hug. 
• I can share my struggles, and how God helped me.
• I can share Scriptures that I find helpful. 
• I can share my testimony. 

One Friday my boys asked to go to garage sales. I noticed three lawnmowers at one place, but didn't think I needed one. That evening I tried to mow our lawn, but found out the lawnmower I had wouldn't work. A couple other people tried too...nothing. I thought of the garage sale lawnmowers, but knew I wouldn't be able to get back to the place we had been until late afternoon on Saturday. "Lord, keep a lawnmower there for me." 
Throughout the next day when I was tempted to fret, I stopped and prayed. When I returned to the garage sale, there was one mower left. I approached the older gentleman and told him I wanted to buy the mower. He shook his head. "I don't understand it. You saw I had three mowers for sale. This is the best one. And nobody bought it."
I smiled. "God saved it for me."
"You know I wouldn't even be selling this mower, except someone thought they were doing me a favour and they bought me a new mower. I can't sell the one they bought for me, even though this one is better. It's my favourite mower."
I almost felt sorry for him! 
"Would you like me to show you how to start it?"
I nodded. He demonstrated how to put on the choke. He pulled once and the mower roared to life.
"Would you like me to help you load it?"
"Yes, please."
I came home feeling like God had blessed me with a "Cadillac" lawn mower. I paid about a third of what I would have paid for a new one, and it has worked well all summer for me.

I can choose to take good care of myself

Since February I have been working on changing some of my unhealthy habits. I tend to eat when I'm anxious ... or stressed ... or nervous ... or ... you get the picture. I also find exercising regularly difficult. In February I read information from Fitera and decided to work on healthy eating habits and exercise. I also happened to be exchanging coaching with a fellow student from the Beautiful You Coaching Academy. She helped me set goals and pick strategies and cheered me on as I made changes. It was hard, especially when I didn't see any changes in the numbers on the scale. She helped me focus on consistency and the fact that I was feeling stronger and more energetic. God reminded me that my body is His temple, and I can glorify him just as much by exercising as I can by reading my Bible. Fitera provides an exercise routine where 1 minute of a weight bearing exercise is followed by 1 minute of cardio-based exercise. You have an option of doing 15, 22, or 30 minutes of exercise, and can start with your fitness level and work up from there. Fitera suggests you do their exercise program 3 days a week and then walk the other 3-4 days. I found my walks beside Jessie Lake inspiring and enjoyable. (The pictures on this blog post were all taken during my walks.) Over the weeks, the pounds started to slip away until I had lost 30 pounds. Now I am working on maintaining the habits.

I can choose to learn new things

Before this season of change started, I signed up for the life coaching course through Beautiful You Coaching Academy. They offer a four-month course, with reading materials, homework questions (answers were shared on the closed Facebook Group), bi-weekly calls, and the opportunity to practice skills by having a coaching partner. God's timing was perfect (as usual). The course, which started in February, gave me something positive to focus on, and I learned that I not only enjoy coaching, but I am also good at it (according to my clients). Now that the course is finished, I'm working on becoming certified with Beautiful You.

Just before I finished the coaching course, I also took on the challenge of working with a business coach from Market Like a Nerd. This has been a huge stretch for me, but I'm looking forward to reaping the results of having an online business.

I can choose to be thankful!

This has been one of the hardest years of my life, but I'm so thankful!

• I have a wonderful support team
• God has provided for all my needs
• I'm enjoying friends, both "old" and "new"
• God has drawn me closer to himself

Are you in a new season? What lessons have you been learning? 

Find out more about Ruth, her writing, and her coaching, at ruthlsnyder.com.

Change by Loretta Bouillon

Today I feel grateful. Sitting on my porch, looking out over the expanse of my yard, my flower pots are still in bloom, but the fall colours are in the background. The view signifies change.

I love the change of seasons here, in Northern British Columbia. Sometimes, I fantasize about living in a warm climate where there are only two seasons: sunny/hot and warm/rainy. But really, as I look out at my flowers against the background of the golden trees, there is something inside of me that feels excited about the fall. On the horizon awaits a youth conference with my teens, a little trip to see my son at university and of course Christmas will be right around the corner.

At the same time, I fight some sadness and a bit of fear as a season of my life comes to an end.  My sixteen year homeschool career is coming to a close. I struggle to let go. I struggle to re-establish my identity which used to be “homeschooling mom”. My youngest is in grade 11 at our local school, and my daughter who has just graduated has gone back for one semester to do two extra courses. So now what?

I have been hired as a “teacher on call” at the school. Never in my wildest dreams did I see myself teaching at a school especially after “retirement”!  However, I was asked if I would be interested and after praying about it I felt to give it a try. If I think about it, I am a bit terrified. But if I don’t think about it (and relax in the peace that God brought the position to me) then I’m okay. It’s really the perfect job for me as being “on call” will allow me time to write.

I also plan to get serious about my writing. To write every day, to take my personal blog in a new direction and to write according to a schedule (for those of you who know me, you would know that is my biggest challenge!). I recently attended the Inscribe Writer’s conference.  I am grateful for Melanie Fischer and Tracy Krauss who did workshops on blogging. Both of them inspired me to look at my blog with a fresh perspective. I also bought Melanie’s Fischer’s book called Ya…But How? It is for building your online platform for the “very very beginner” and I plan to make good use of it!

, b

I had a wonderful “blue pencil” review with Pam Mytroen. She reviewed my children’s picture book that I wrote twelve years ago about educating the young child on alcoholism and sobriety. I have tried to submit it a couple of times with the same comment received: “although we find merit in the content of this manuscript, the target audience would be too small to risk taking you on.”  I have been advised to self-publish but that means paying an illustrator and the cost is too great. Pam was so encouraging, saying that this book needs to be published. After taking her suggestions, I polished  the piece and sent it to the Canscaip (Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators and Performers) annual writing for children competition.  The ten top submissions will be sent to three major children’s publishers for consideration.  I will leave it in God’s hands now.

Change... It can be a good thing. Without God it can be scary and overwhelming but right now it’s time to smile at the memories, to let the flock fly and step into the next chapter of my life. Therefore I will look to Him for guidance each day with a thankful heart, and trust that He also wants the very best for me.